Bound by Gold (Episodes 58-65) PL 12

The Mask of Malador was loose in Freedom City during the two weeks they were trapped in the Idiot Box. Upon their return, our heroes didn’t find themselves with much of a lead to work with. They choose to follow up with a break in at the Southside Botanica in Southside, a local business belonging to one Madame Marie Otando. Otando was a central figure of Southside and a member of Freedom City’s magical community.

When our heroes met Madame Marie something seemed off about her. Without hesitation, they sprang into action, tying her up, and revealing that this was not Madame Marie at all, but a Serpent Person named Sineerie. Sineerie explained that they tracked the Mask to the shop using ancient Lemurian magic and planned to draw forth Malador so they could annihilate their ancient enemy once and for all. She also said that the Serpent People were occupying a flood control tunnel in the swamps west of Freedom City.

The Freedom League Dark called Daedalus, who was back in space exploring a Preserver colony on Europa, for an update. They said that Malador might rise again, and that the flood tunnels were in disrepair. He wished them luck and dispatched a few Synthias to help with the tunnel maintenance.

Our heroes were ambushed by terrifying Serpent People that had been twisted by Malador’s malevolent magics. They fought a harrowing battle in the dark. They survived, but Malador was long gone. Instead, they found Medea tied up and stashed behind a snake statue. She offered her help and cast a geas on herself as proof of good intentions.

Medea and Mortis became fast friends, spending a night out on the town, while the others did research as to where the mask may have gone. The following morning Overdrive had to interview Bowman and Sophie for his job at New Horizon Media. They talked about Operation Custodian and Sophie said some unflattering things about the Freedom League Dark. After the interview, Sophie left, and Serpent People attacked Overdrive, trying to capture the “Faster Mage.”

After the fight the heroes tracked the mask to a colonial mansion called Nightjars in Lantern Hill. They headed that way and found some Serpent People slinking around in colonial era costumes like a bad Hamilton reenactment.

Mortis asked a plucky ghost urchin named Archie to go get Lantern Jack, before the group moved in to investigate.

After a misunderstanding between Bowman, an eighteenth century dress, and the ghost of a punk Satanist, the heroes found their way into a secret cellar. The remaining Serpent People tried to waylay them with a mask that was clearly made of papier-mâché. When Resonant pointed this out, the Serpent People left in a huff, tasking the FLD with stopping Malador.

They found Malador in the chamber beyond, preparing some kind of ritual using a clay body and swirling magical energy. Before the heroes could stop him however, Sophie revealed her presence. She claimed that she had already contained the situation, proclaiming herself the new Master Mage of Earth-Prime. She raised her hands and cast a spell to destroy Malador, but Sophie was deceived. Una rose in the clay body, laughing that she had finally found a way into Earth-Prime. The confluence of magical energy caused a magical explosion. Una, Sophie, and Malador were all sucked into the Mask of Malador and merged into one being. A being which disappeared.

The heroes left Nightjars and raced to the Nerian Nexus to try and do damage control. Sallah showed them the Nexus’ astrolabe room, revealing that Sofunador’s presence was already impacting the multiverse. Before they could delve much deeper, portals opened across the Southside district. Together with the help of Jason in his first costumed appearance, the heroes closed one. Mortis dragged the portal into the Crossroads and disappeared, leaving the others to deal with undead invasions from Hel, Hades, and Irkalla.

Centuria and Gatekeeper worked together to throw Fenrir back into Hel, with Resonant creating an illusion of Hela to distract the great beast. Charon just wanted to buy some records while he had a chance to visit Earth, although the heroes did have to find some way of stopping the River Styx from flooding Southside. Nergal challenged Centuria to single combat in the Eclipse nightclub, but the less we talk about that the better.

With all of the portals closed, Mortis emerged from the Crossroads, but not before having a big adventure in the Underworld…

Noteworthy NPCs

Villains: Malador the Mystic, Serpent People, Sophie, Una, Sofunador, Fenrir, Nergal, Zombie Vikings

Allies: Lantern Jack, Archie the Urchin Ghost, Lucien Crowley the Punk Ghost, Medea, Madame Marie Otando, Jason Harper (Bolt), Gatekeeper, Charon